William Wake

“ I know nothing from any man.
But the spirit spake, saying
on this wise: Do nothing without
the bishop:
15 Keep your bodies as the
temples of God: Love unity;
Flee divisions; Be the followers
of Christ, as he was of his Father.
16 I therefore did as became
me, as a man composed to unity
for where there is division,
and wrath, God dwelleth not.
17 But the Lord forgives all
that repent, if they return to the
unity of God, and to the council
of the bishop.
18 For I trust in the grace
Jesus Christ that he will free
you from every bond. ”

“ PUT all sadness far from thee; for it is the sister of doubting and of anger. How, sir, said I is it the sister of these? For sadness, and anger, and doubting, seem to me to be very different from one another.
2 And he answered: Art thou without sense that thou dost not understand it? For sadness is the most mischievous of all spirits, and the worst to the servants of God: It destroys the spirits of all men, and torments the Holy Spirit, and it saves again.
3 Sir, said I, I am very foolish, and understand not these things. ”

“ Who is there that would live for ever, let him hear the voice of my Son.
4 And again, Hear, O Heavens, and give ear O Earth! Because the Lord has spoken these things for a witness.
5 And again, he saith, Hear the word of the Lord, ye princes of the people. And again, Hear O children! The voice of one crying in the wilderness.
6 Wherefore he has circumcised our ears, that we should hear his word, and believe. But as for that circumcision, in which the Jews trust, it is abolished: for the circumcision of which God spake, was not of the flesh. ”

“ WHEREFORE we being apart of the Holy One: let us do all those things that pertain unto holiness:
2 Fleeing all evil-speaking against one another; all filthy and impure embraces, together with all drunkenness, youthful lusts, abominable concupiscences, detestable adultery, and execrable pride.
3 For God saith, he resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.
4 Let us therefore hold fast to those to whom God has given his grace.
5 And let us put on concord, being humble, temperate; free from all whispering and detraction; and justified by our actions, not our words. ”

“ The whole nation and rulers of the Jews have delivered thee up to me. What hast thou done?
9 Jesus answering, said, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, and I should not have been delivered to the Jews: but now my kingdom is not from hence.
10 Pilate said, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king: to this end was I born, and for this end came I into the world; and for this purpose I came, that I should bear witness to the truth; and every one who is of the truth, heareth my voice. ”

“ The crown proposed to thee is immortality, and eternal life: concerning which thou art also fully persuaded. I will be thy surety in all things, by my bonds, which thou halt loved.
13 Let not those that seem worthy of credit, but teach other doctrines, disturb thee. Stand firm and immoveable, as an anvil when it is beaten upon.
14 It is the part of a brave combatant to be wounded, and yet overcome. But especially we ought to endure all things for God's sake, that he may bear with us. ”

“ And he said unto me, Seest thou these trees I answered, Sir, I see them; some are dry, and others full of leaves.
2 These trees, saith be, which are green, are the righteous, who shall possess the world to come. For the world to come, is the summer to the righteous; but to sinners it is the winter.
3 When, therefore, the mercy of the Lord shall shine forth, then they who serve God shall be made manifest, and plain unto all. For as in the summer the fruit of every tree is shown and made manifest. ”

“ NOW God, the inspector of all things, the Father of Spirits, and the Lord of all flesh, who hath chosen our Lord Jesus Christ, and us by him, to be his peculiar people;
2 Grant to every soul of man that calleth upon his glorious and holy name, faith, fear, peace, long-suffering, patience, temperance, holiness and sobriety, unto all well-pleasing in his sight; through our High-Priest and Protector Jesus Christ, by whom be glory and majesty, and power, and honour unto him now and for ever more, Amen. ”

“ The Lord is with thee, and thou
shalt conceive:
12 To which she replied, What!
shall I conceive by the living God
and bring forth as all other
women do?
13 But the angel returned
answer, Not so, O Mary, but the
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,
and the power of the Most High
shall overshadow thee;
14 Wherefore that which shall
be born of thee shall be holy,
and shall be called the Son of the
Living God, and thou shalt call his
name Jesus; for he shall save his
people from their sins.
15 And behold thy cousin Elizabeth,
she also hath conceived a son in her
old age. ”

“ Accordingly he said to Theoclia, Where is my Thecla?
6 Theoclia replied, Thamyris, I have something very strange to tell you; for Thecla, for the space of three days, will not move from the window, not so much as to eat or drink, but is so intent in hearing the artful and delusive discourses of a certain foreigner, that I perfectly wonder Thamyris, that a young woman of her known modesty, will suffer herself to be so prevailed upon.
7 For that man has disturbed the whole city of Iconium, and even your Thecla, among others. All the women and young men flock to him to receive his doctrine ”

“ O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me."
6 "O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the grave; thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit."
7 "Sing unto the Lord, all ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness, for his anger endureth but for a moment; in his favour is life."
8 In like manner all the saints, prostrate at the feet of Jesus, said with one voice, Thou art come, O Redeemer of the world, and hast actually accomplished all things, which thou didst foretell by the law and thy holy prophets. ”

“ Thou shalt love thy neighbour above thy own soul,
11 Thou shalt not destroy thy conceptions, before they are brought forth; nor kill them after they are born.
12 Thou shalt not withdraw thy hand from thy son, or from thy daughter; but shall teach them from their youth the fear of the Lord.
13 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's goods; neither shalt thou be an extortioner. Neither shall thy heart be joined to proud men; but thou shalt be numbered among the righteous and the lowly. Whatever events shall happen unto thee, thou shalt receive them as good. ”

“ Why do we suffer ourselves foolishly to perish; not considering the gift which the Lord has truly sent to us?
7 Let my life be sacrificed for the doctrine of the cross; which is indeed a scandal to the unbelievers, but to us is salvation and life eternal.
8 Where is the wise man? Where is the disputer? Where is the boasting of those who are called wise?
9 For our Lord Jesus Christ was according to the dispensation of God, conceived in the womb of Mary, of the seed of David, by the Holy Ghost. He was born and baptized, that through his passion he might purify water, to the washing away of sin. ”

“ NOW at this time of her first coming into Galilee, the angel Gabriel was sent to her from God, to declare to her the conception of our Saviour, and the manner and way of her conceiving him.
2 Accordingly going into her, he filled the chamber where she was with a prodigious light, and in a most courteous manner saluting her, he said,
3 Hail, Mary! Virgin of the Lord most acceptable! O Virgin full of grace! The Lord is with you. You are blessed above all women, and you are blessed above all men, that have been hitherto born. ”

“ And now, as I have before said, I say unto thee, the Lord strong and powerful, the Lord mighty in battle: he is the King of Glory, and he is the Lord in heaven and in earth.
16 He hath looked down to hear the groans of the prisoners, and to set loose those that are appointed to death.
17 And now, thou filthy and stinking prince of hell, open thy gates, that the King of Glory may enter in; for he is the Lord of heaven and earth.
18 While David was saying this, the mighty Lord appeared in the form of a man, and enlightened those places which had ever before been in darkness. ”

“ Ye shall no more tread my courts.
7 Bring no more vain oblations, incense is an abomination unto me your new moons and sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies I cannot bear with, it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting; your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth.
8 These things therefore hath God abolished, that the new law of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is without the yoke of any such necessity, might have the spiritual offering of, men themselves. ”

“ Bear the infirmities of all, as a perfect combatant; where the labour is great, the gain is the more.
7 If thou shalt love the good disciples, what thank is it? But rather do thou subject to thee those that are mischievous, in meekness.
8 Every wound is not healed with the same plaister: if the accessions of the disease be vehement, modify them with soft remedies: be in all things wise as a serpent, but harmless as a dove.
9 For this cause thou art composed of flesh and spirit; that thou mayest modify those things that appear before thy face. ”

“ Prepare for the judgment that is about to come upon you.
100 Ye that are the more eminent, search out them that are hungry, whilst the tower is yet unfinished. For when the tower shall be finished, ye shall be willing to do good, and shall not find any place in it.
101 Beware, therefore, ye that glory in your riches, lest perhaps they groan who are in want, and their sighing come up unto God, and ye be shut out with your goods without the gate of the tower.
102 Behold I now warn you who are set over the church, and love the highest seats, be not ye like unto those that work mischief. ”

“ Paul replied, The grace of
God be with thee and thy family.
9 But Denies and Hermogenes were moved with envy, and, under a show of great religion, Demas said, And are not we also servants of the blessed God? Why didst thou not salute us? ”

“ Lord should come unto me?
21 For lo! as soon as the voice
of thy salutation reached my ears,
that which is in me leaped and
blessed thee.
22 But Mary, being ignorant of
all those mysterious things which
the archangel Gabriel had spoken
to her, lifted up her eyes to heaven,
and said, Lord! What am I, that
all the generations of the earth
should call me blessed?
23 But perceiving herself daily
to grow big, and being afraid, she
went home, and hid herself from
the children of Israel ”

“ Moses, go down quickly, for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt, have corrupted themselves, and turned aside from the way which I commanded them. And Moses cast the two tables out of his hands; and their covenant was broken; that the love of Jesus might be sealed in your hearts, unto the hope of his faith.
10 Wherefore let us give heed unto the last times. For all the time past of our life and our faith, will profit us nothing; unless we continue to hate what is evil, and to withstand the future temptations. So the Son of God tells us; Let us resist all iniquity and hate it. ”

“ For inasmuch as there is no contention nor strife among you, to trouble you, ye must needs live according to God's will. My soul be for yours; and I myself, the expiatory offering for your church of Ephesus; so famous throughout the world.
9 They that are of the flesh cannot do the works of the spirit; neither they that are of the spirit the works of the flesh; as he that has faith cannot be an infidel; nor he that is an infidel have faith. But even those things which ye do according to the flesh are spiritual; forasmuch as ye do all things in Jesus Christ. ”

“ COMMAND VIII. That we must flee from evil, and do good works.
I HAVE told thee, said he, that there are two kinds of creatures of the Lord, and that there is a two-fold abstinence. From some things therefore thou must abstain, and from others not.
2 I answered, Declare to me, sir, from what I must abstain, and from what not. Hearken, said he, Keep thyself from evil, and do it not; yet abstain not from good, but do it. For if thou shalt abstain from what is good, and not do it, thou shalt sin. Abstain therefore from all evil, and thou shalt know all righteousness. ”

“ Who that is compassionate? Who that has any charity? Let him say, if this sedition, this contention, and these schisms, be upon my account, I am ready to depart; to go away whithersoever you please; and do whatsoever ye shall command me: Only let the flock of Christ be in peace, with the elders that are set over it.
15 He that shall do this, shall get to himself a very great honour in the Lord; and there is no place but what will be ready to receive him: For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. ”

“ We know the father and mother of Jesus.
2 And a certain Levite said, I know many of his relations, religions persons, who are wont to offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings to the God of Israel, in the temple, with prayers.
3 And when the high-priest Simeon took him up in his arms, he said to him, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which then halt prepared before the face of all people; a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. ”

“ Caiphas, Who are the proselytes?
They answered, They are those
who are the children of Pagans,
and are not become Jews, but
followers of him.
12 Then replied Eleazer, and
Asterius, and Antonius, and James,
Caras and Samuel, Isaac and Phinees,
Crispus and Agrippa, Annas and Judas,
We are not proselytes, but children
of Jews, and speak the truth,
and were present when Mary was
betrothed. ”

“ Put on a firm and powerful faith: for faith promises all things and perfects all things. But doubting will not believe that it shall obtain any thing by all that it can do.
10. Thou seest therefore, says he, how faith cometh from above from God; and hath great power. But doubting is an earthly spirit, and proceedeth from the Devil, and has no strength.
11 Do thou therefore keep the virtue of faith, and depart from doubting, in which is no virtue, and thou shalt live unto God. And all shall live unto God, as many as do these things. ”

“ Adding farther this good sentence, saying Turn from your iniquity, O house of Israel.
11 Say unto the children of my people, though your sins should reach from earth to heaven; and though they shall be redder than scarlet, and blacker than sackcloth yet if ye shall turn to me with all your heart, and shall call me father, I will hearken to you, as to a holy people.
12 And in another place he saith on this wise: wash ye, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do well ”

“ Who has measured the heaven with a span, and the earth with his hand? Is it not I? Thus with the Lord, Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What is the house that ye will build me? Or what is the place of my rest? Know therefore that all their hope is vain. ”

“ IGNATIUS, who is also called Theophorus, to the church which is at Ephesus in Asia; most deservedly happy: being blessed through the greatness and fullness of God the Father, and predestinated before the world began; that it should be always unto an enduring and unchangeable glory; united and chosen through his true passion, according to the will of the Father, and Jesus Christ our God; all happiness, by Jesus Christ, and his undefiled grace. ”

“ ANNAEUS SENECA to PAUL Greeting.
ALL happiness to you, my dearest
Paul. Do you not suppose I am
extremely concerned and grieved
that your innocence should bring
you into sufferings?
2 And that all the people should
suppose you (Christians) so criminal,
and imagine all the misfortunes
that happen to the city, to be
caused by you?
3 But let us bear the charge
with a patient temper, appealing
for our innocence to the court
above, which is the only one our
hard fortune will allow us to address
to, till at length our misfortunes
shall end in unalterable happiness. ”

“ He replied, Hearken. Those twelve nations which possess the whole world, are twelve people.
164 And as thou hast beheld these mountains different, so are they. I will therefore open to thee the meaning and actions of every mountain.
165 But first, sir, said I, show me this; Seeing these mountains are so different, how have they agreed in the building of this tower; and been brought to one colour; and are no less bright than those that came out of the deep? ”

“ Let them swear by the life of Caesar that it is not as we have said, and we will be contented to be put to death.
15 Then said Annas and Caiphas to Pilate, Those twelve men will not believe that we know him to be basely born, and to be a conjurer, although he pretends that he is the Son of God, and a king: which we are so far from believing, that we tremble to hear.
16 Then Pilate commanded every one to go out except the twelve men who said he was not born through fornication, and Jesus to withdraw to a distance, and said to them, Why have the Jews a mind to kill Jesus? ”

“ Thou shalt love him that made thee: thou shalt glorify him that hath redeemed thee from death.
6 Thou shalt be simple in heart, and rich in the spirit. Thou shalt not cleave to those that walk in the way of death. Thou shalt hate to do anything that is not pleasing unto God. Thou shalt abhor all dissimulation. Thou shalt not neglect any of the commands of the Lord. ”

“ HE that has the love that is in Christ, let him keep the commandments of Christ.
2 For who is able to express the obligation of the love of God? What man is sufficient to declare, and is fitting, the excellency of its beauty?
3 The height to which charity leads, is inexpressible.
4 Charity unites us to God; charity covers the multitude of sins: charity endures all things; is long-suffering in all things.
5 There is nothing base and sordid in charity: charity lifts not itself up above others; admits of no divisions; is not seditious; but does all things in peace and concord. ”

“ CHAPTER II. Desires their prayers, and to be united, but not to Judaize.
MY brethren, the love I have towards you makes me the more large; and having a great joy in you, I endeavour to secure you against danger; or rather not I, but Jesus Christ; in whom being bound, I the more fear, as being yet only on the way to suffering.
2 But your prayer to God shall make me perfect, that I may attain to that portion, which by God's mercy is allotted to me Fleeing to the Gospel as to the flesh of Christ; and to the Apostles as to the presbytery of the church. ”